Support for casket lowering apparatus



R. B. HANKs 2,221,134

Filed Nov. 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' IN VEN TOR A TTORNEYS.

Nov. 12, 1940.

SUPPORT FOR GASKET LOWERING APPARATUS Nov. 12, 1940. R. B. HANKs SUPPORT FOR GASKET 'LOWERING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l l I S l 1 aufm 3m I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES vPfai-ENfr' oFF1cE SUPPORT Foal GASKET. LowERING APPARATUS v Rufus B. Hanks,'Wausa, Nebr." Application November` 8, 1939', Serial No.303,482

claims. (c1. 2413+156) This invention relates to a support designed fcruse in connection with casket lowering `devices such as used at graves.

Heretofore it has beenthe practice to support 5 such devices on the ground close to the sides of the open grave. Aside from the fact that the lowering apparatus has thus been located close to the level of the ground, necessitating extreme care in lowering the casket to the apparatus, the

arrangements heretofore employed have been objectionable because of the danger of cave-ins and because of the further fact that diiculty sometimes has been experienced in setting the lowering apparatus so that it will be level.

An object ofthe present invention is to pro. wide adjustable supports adapted to be placed in the corners of the grave opening, these supports being adjustable so that the upper ends thereof can -be brought to positions where they will hold the lowering apparatus in a level position.

It is a further object to provide supports which can be readily anchored to the ground to avoid danger of accidental displacement.

Another object is to provide supportsv which can be readily locked in any position to which they might be adjusted and to provide each` of the supports with a head which serves as an eicient seat for one of the corner members of the lowering apparatus.

A still further object is to provide supports of this character which, when not in use, can..be collapsed so as to occupy but a small space and thus be easy to store and to transport.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as they description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawin'gsthe preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings:

Figure l is an elevation of a casket Vlowering apparatus in position on supports suchas consti-V tutes the present invention, portions of the apparatus and the drapes used therewith being broken away to show the upper portion of one of the supports.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section through a grave opening in which supports are positioned ready for use.

Figure :3 is a side Velevation 'of one vof the sup'- ports collapsed.

Figure .4 is a top plan View of the support. Figure 5 'is a section on line v5-5, Figure 4,` a portion of .a corner. post of a casket lowering 5 apparatus being shown'seated on the support.

Figurey 6 is av central longitudinal section through' the lapping portions of the upper and intermediate sections of the support.

Figure 7 is a central longitudinal section 10 through the lapping portions of the intermediate and lower sections of the support.

Figure 8 is an enlarged section online 8-8, Figure 6.

Figure 19 isv an enlarged section on line 9 9, 15 Figure 7.; v

Figure 10 is a bottom plan view of the vanchoring rod and pin while Vin anchoring position, parts-being broken away. A Referring to the'iigures by characters of ref- 20 erence, I designates a head which can be in the form. of a disk having anupstanding. annular Harige- 2 and extending radially from this flange are studs. 3 some of Vwhich constitute means for engagingthe intermediate portions of laminated 25 bow springs-4 the ends of whichbear against the flange and constituteclips for the vpurpose hereinafter explained.

A'diametrically disposed angular web 6 extends downwardly from head I and is preferably cast 30 integral therewith, and the large end of this web is preferably formed with an integral fork 'lwhich embraces and is riveted orv otherwise joined to the upper end portion of an angle strip 8 ccnstituting the upper Ysection of the support. This 35 angle stripis held at right angles to the head I andislprovided along its apex or angle portion, withshort .spaced slots 9.

y j Bridging the angle strip 8 at its free end and xe'dlyrjoined to the strip is a guide. in the form 4 ofra cross-plate `I0 and to this plate is ysecured one end'of a leaf spring III, preferably laminated as shown in Figure 6.

Extending longitudinally of section 8 adjacent to the upper end thereof isa guide rod I2 the 45 ends of Vwhich are offset as at I3 and ,welded or otherwise attached to the angle portion of section 8 so that rod I2 is thus held spaced from butparallel with the apex portion or angle of the section. On this guide rod I2 is slidably mounted 50 an eye I 4`at Yone end of an anchoring rod I5. At the other end of. this rod is a fork I6 in which is 'pivotally mounted/an" anchoring pin Il. lThis pin has 'a short arm adapted to swing into the fork when the pin is brought into position sub- 55 stantially at right angles to rod I5 so that this short arm, indicated at I8, can thus thrust against the end of the rod I5 as indicated by broken lines in Figure 3. The other or long arm of the pin I'I can be folded into position substantially parallel with rod I5 and when thus located it can be snapped into engagement with a clip I9 carried by one side of the section 8.

Fitted in the angle portion of the section 8 so as to be embraced by said section is an intermediate section 20 comprising an angle strip which extends between section 8 and the spring II so that said spring will thus exert a constant pressure against strip 20 and maintain the angle portions of the two sections 8 and 20 in contact normally. 'Ihat end portion of section 20 located within section 8 carries an angle strip 2| which is secured therein and is provided with a projecting head 22 extending from section 20 and located and proportioned to be seated in any one of the slots 9, this head being formed with opposed notches 23 so that when the head is seated within one of the slots 9, one of the end walls of said slot will become seated in the adjacent notch 23 so as thus to tie sections 2|] to section 8. In Figure 6 this head has been shown thus engaged so as to hold the end of section 20 against movement away from section 8. Obviously, however, by shifting section 20 downwardly relative to section 8,' head 22 can be withdrawn from engagement with the end wall of section 8 so that said head can thus befswung out of the slot 9 to permit movement of section 20 relative to section 8 in the direction of its length. i

The other end of the intermediate section 29 has a cross-plate 24 to which is secured one end portion of a laminated leaf-spring 25 and the free end of this leaf-spring is adapted to bear against a lower angle strip or section 26 which is iitted snugly within but is adapted to slide longitudinally of the section 20 as will be apparent by referring to Figures '7 and 9. This lower section 26 is positioned between plate 24 and section 29 and is provided within the upper end portion thereof, with a stop shoulder 2'I which serves to limit withdrawal of section 26 from section 20 by coming into contact with the end of spring 25.

Shoulder 2'I can be formed by attaching a reenforcing plate 28 to section 26 and this plate has a head 29 extending therefrom and adapted to be seated within any one of a series of longitudinal slots 30 formed in the angle portion of intermediate section 20 and spaced apart. Head 29 has a notch 3I in its upper end and this is adapted to receive the upper end wall of the slot 30 in which the head is seated when the support is extended for use and is supporting a load. This position of the head has been shown in Figure '7. It will be obvious, however, that by lowering section 26 relative to section 30, the notched portion of head 29 can be withdrawn from engagment with the end wall of slot 30 after which said head 29 can be swung backwardly out of slot 39 and against the action of spring 25. 1

Normally each of the four supports used in a grave is collapsed as shown in Figure 3. In other words the lower section 26 is extended upwardly within the intermediate section 20 while the intermediate section is extended upwardly within the upper section 8. At the same time the eye I4 at one end of rod I5 can be mounted on the upper inturned or offset end of guide rod I2 while the folded anchoring pin I'I is gripped by the clip I9.

When it is desired to use a support, the same is inverted and section 26 is pulled out of section 20 until the head 29, which has its advancing face doubled, is brought back of the slot 30 in which it is to be seated. The head will be pressed into this slot by spring 25 and thereafter, by thrusting section 26 toward section 20 the notch 3I in the head will receive the-adjacent end wall of slot 30. Section 2U is then pulled outwardly relative to section 8 so that the head 22 will be brought opposite to a selected slot 9. When this is properly located spring II will act to thrust head 23 outwardly into the selected slot 9 and by thrusting upwardly through section 20 the upper notch in said head 22 will receive the adjacent end wall of slot 9. With the support thus adjusted to proper length, pin I'I is disengaged from clip I9 and rod I5 allowed to slide downwardly onto guide rod I2. The support is then placed in one corner portion of the grave opening with the lower end of section 26 in contact with the bottom of the grave. This end is forced downwardly into the soil until the head I is brought to the proper level. Rod I5, which is thus located where it can rest at upon the ground, is extended radially from the corner portion of the grave opening after which pin I'I is driven downwardly into the ground, thereby anchoring the support in the corner portion of the grave. All four supports are located in the same manner and when they are properly placed they will be held securely in position with their heads at the proper level.

The corner posts P of the casket lowering apparatus A are then placed on the heads I where they are surrounded by the flanges 2 and thus prevented from becoming shifted out of proper position. Suitable drapes, indicated at D are brought around the upwardly extending ends of the support and held to the heads I by inserting portions thereof in engagement with the end of springs 4 which, as before stated, act as clips. These drapes can be downturned at their upper edges so as to extend over and back of the end clips, thereby concealing the clips. Those studs 3 not used for holding springs 4 in position can be employed as means for anchoring wires, springs or the like which extend within the upper portions of the drapes for the purpose of holding them taut.

Obviously by providing supports such as herein described, there' is no danger of the lowering apparatus settling or dropping because of a cave-in. Furthermore this lowering apparatus can be supported at any desired distance from the ground and can be maintained level no matter what may be the contour of the surface of the ground where the grave is located.

When the supports are not in use they can be collapsed readily as will be apparent and can thus be conveniently stored and transported.

These supports are simple in construction, are cheap to manufacture, and have been'found to be a valuable accessory because of the various advantages thus far stated.

What is claimed is:

1. A support of the class described including telescopically connected sections, cooperating means thereon for holding the sections against collapse, a head carried by the upper section, and anchoring means adjustably connected to the upper section, said anchoring means including a guide rod secured to and extending longitudinally of said section, an anchoring rod tiltably and slidably connected to the guide rod, and an anchoring pin pivotally connected to and foldable upon the anchoring rod.

2. A support of the class described including telescopically connected angle strips, one of said strips having spaced slots, a head upon the other strip movable to position for insertion into a selected slot, a spring carried by one of the sections and bearing against the other section for urging the head into a selected slot, said head, when positioned in a slot, constituting a locking seat for receiving one wall of the slot, thereby to hold the sections against relative movement in one direction, a head on one of the sections, and anchoring means carried by said section.

3. A support of the class described including telescopically connected angle sections, cooperating means on the sections for holding them against collapse, springs carried by the support and adjacent to said means for holding the support in position to prevent collapse, a head carried by one of the sections, and anchoring means adjustably connected to said sections.

4. A support of the class described including telescopically connected upper, intermediate and lower sections, each section comprising an angle strip, projecting heads carried by the lower and intermediate sections at their upper ends, slots in the intermediate and upper sections for receiving the respective heads, thereby to provide seats for the upper end Walls of the slots, springs carried by the intermediate and upper sections for exerting thrust against the lower and intermediate sections respectively to maintain the heads yieldingly in` the slots, a head at the upper end of the upper section, and anchoring means connected to said section.

5. A support of the class described including telescopically connected sections, cooperating means thereon for holdingthe sections against collapse, means on the upper sections for engaging an object to be supported, an anchoring element tiltably and slidably connected to the upper sections, and means pivotally connected to and foldable upon said element for insertion into the soil.

RUFUS B. HANKS. 

